Many, many thanks to all of you who stopped by my booth at the Westerville Arts Festival this past weekend. It was great right up until just before the official close on Sunday. The official close of the festival was supposed to be 5 PM, but around 4:30 PM, some serious storm clouds appeared, and we (meaning all the artists, not just me and Art) started speed-packing. I have jewelry stashed in places it was never meant to be, and I seriously hope I can find it all. It will make setting up for the next show interesting. Most of my portrait samples made it home safely, although three of them will require new matting or some new backing, as the water seeped in between the frame and the glass. I thought we might make it out before the rain started, but as soon as Art pulled up in our vehicle (realize that all 100+ artists are retrieving their vehicles and trying to park next to their displays all at the same time), it started to pour. We ran a couple of things to the car and stashed them, but the rest remained piled up under the canopy, which Art held on to, along with the help of 200 pounds worth of sand in buckets that we use to weigh down the canopy. Did I mention that I ran back to the car to wait out the storm? Yes, I left my husband standing under a metal-framed canopy during a thunderstom with all kinds of crazy-close lightning so that he could hold onto it and watch over the rest of the stuff piled up underneath. What a guy! (Love you.....XOXOXOXOX....) We were both soaked, and everything that I had that didn't get put in the car on the first trip was soaked. It dropped 1.25 inches of rain on us in about a half an hour. As bad as it was, it could have been worse...we had a little advanced warning, and because it was at the end of the festival, we didn't wait for anyone official to tell us to pack up. While everything got wet, nothing was really ruined, and Art didn't get struck by lightning. So.....I hope you can make it to Grandview on July 28 for the next festival. I'm really hoping for a dry day!